Thursday, November 9th

Next week we have PE on Tuesday and Friday

Dear Parents,

Friday, November 3rd was the last day of our first trimester. It’s hard to believe your children are ⅓ of the way through their 3rd grade year! Report cards for first trimester will be available through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal starting on Monday, November 13th.  This online access format for parents is new for all of us.  

We all enjoyed our  Wetland Life Cycles lessons with Thorne Nature Experience on Tuesday, November 7th.  A teacher from Thorne will be working with students during two more  visits to extend our Plant and Animal Life Cycles unit.  Please ask your child about what they learned and activities they did during these lessons on November 14th, and November 28th.  Thank you to our PTA for funding our work with Thorne!

On Friday, November 17, we will be going on a field trip to see "Mary Poppins" at the Broomfield Auditorium. We can take up to 3 parents with us on this trip and we will be walking. Please be sure to sign the permission slip in the Friday folder and return it as soon as possible. If I have more than 3 parents who want to go I will draw names.

As you know, your child received a copy of Spelling Bee study words in their Friday folder a few.  If your child is interested in participating in the Kohl Spelling Bee, they may want to study these words over the next few weeks.  We will be giving all third graders a spelling bee screening test next week to determine our three classroom spelling bee participants.  These tests will not be graded for a classroom grade.  They are just a screener for us to qualify students for the spelling bee.

Math:

Last week we finished up Unit 2 (Multiplication and Division 0-10) in math. All assessments will be in Friday folders today. Overall, the class did a great job on this assessment. It always amazes me how much they have learned over such a short period of time. Keep working on all of the multiplication and division facts at home.

We started Unit 3, which is Measurement, TIme and Graphing. This unit is a bit shorter and will be completed shortly after Thanksgiving break.

Science:

Our Plant and Animal Life Cycles unit is coming to a close.  It has been amazing to watch and learn about the life cycles of frogs, butterflies, and pea plants in our classroom. We will begin a social studies unit about regions of the United States the week of November 13th.

Literacy:

Students are reading and writing informative texts.

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  
• Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week and students should practice writing the sentence nightly.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. 5 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  We will continue to use it at least once a week at school.  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs.
• Unit 2 Math Homework Practice packet Due December 11th

https://www.mobymax.com/signin

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, November 10th- No School Veteran’s Day

Friday, November 17th- Field Trip- Mary Poppins (sack lunch needed)

November 21st-24th- No School Thanksgiving Break

Enjoy the long weekend.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Aisha Galt

Friday, November 3rd

Next week we have PE on Wednesday

Dear Parents,

Happy Friday!  It has been quite a week with Halloween falling on Tuesday.  

I am excited to announce that we are beginning our Wetland Life Cycles lessons with Thorne Nature Experience on Tuesday, November 7th.  A teacher from Thorne will be working with students during three progressive visits to extend our Plant and Animal Life Cycles unit.  Please ask your child about what they learned and activities they did during these lessons on November 7th, November 14th, and November 28th. Thank you to our PTA for funding our work with Thorne!

Your child received a copy of Spelling Bee study words in their Friday folder last week.  If your child is interested in participating in the Kohl Spelling Bee, they may want to study these words over the next few weeks.  We will be giving all third graders a spelling bee screening test the week before Thanksgiving break to determine our three classroom spelling bee participants.  These tests will not be graded for a classroom grade.  They are just a screener for us to qualify students for the spelling bee.

Math:

Unit 2 has been a lot of practice with all of the multiplication and division facts and how to use them in one and now two step word problems. The class is doing a good job of using a step by step method to find the important information, think about what the problem is asking them to do and then writing and solving the equation. We even started using order of operations (ask your child about PMDAS Please Make Dad A Sandwich). I am impressed with their hard work. We took our Unit 2 math test today. It will come home in Friday folders next week. Our next unit will be Measurement, Time, and Graphs.

Science

Our Plant and Animal Life Cycles unit is coming to a close.  It has been amazing to watch and learn about the life cycles of frogs, butterflies, and pea plants in our classroom. We will begin a social studies unit about regions of the United States the week of November 13th.

Literacy

Students are reading and writing informative texts.

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  
• Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week and students should practice writing the sentence nightly.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. 5 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  We have used this site once in class and will continue to use it at least once a week at school.  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs.https://www.mobymax.com/signin
• Unit 2 Math Homework Practice packet Due December 11th

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, November 10th- No School Veteran’s Day

Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

 

Homework Update

November 2, 2017

Dear Parents,

In an effort to build a love of learning and create a less stressful environment at home, we have tried to come up with a homework plan to help families support their children academically while still finding time for activities and family. There has been a lot of talk about what “homework” should look like this year at Kohl, and maybe some misunderstandings about the idea of having “no homework” at all.  Kids need to do some sort of academic practice at home in order to reinforce the concepts they are learning in class. After talking with you during parent/teacher conferences, it became clear that we need to clarify expectations, make a few changes, and outline a way to make it all work.

Below, is a list of some of the ideas we have about how to make this all work and the expectations we have for your child’s home practice. Slight changes are in bold red.

What we have offered for home practice:

• iReady lessons (certain students)
• ReadingPlus lessons (certain students)

Students should use their assigned reading program at least once a week for 15-20 min.  I will be be checking the iReady and ReadyPlus programs on Friday to see if they are completing this assignment at home.  If your child does not have access to a computer at home, please let me know.

• MobyMax for math and fact practice. MobyMax also has several other content components that are optional
• Multiplication/division fact practice (this can be done on the computer, with flash cards, Learning WrapUps (learningwrapups.com or amazon), practicing math dashes, pages from math book in the homework folder, etc)
• Reading at home (20-30 minutes)
• Dictado Students write their weekly Dictado sentence in their homework notebook. Students need write this sentence in their homework at least once each night.  I will be checking for their weekly written Dictado practice on Fridays
• Mystery State
• Math packet for completed math unit.  After we finish a math unit, I will be sending home a math homework packet.  Our first math packet will come home in homework folders on Monday, November 6th. Students should work on completing this packet consistently throughout the week.  Packets, will have a set due date and directions attached.

How do you fit it all it without going crazy?!

Children should be doing about 30 minutes of “homework” practice each night. This can look different each night and also will depend on whether or not you have other things going on- i.e. sports practice, music lessons, special family events, etc.

Example week:

Monday night: Complete Mystery State, write Dictado sentence once, choice read for 15 min 

Tuesday night: iReady or Reading Plus lessons - (20 minutes), write Dictado sentence, practice math facts AND/OR do a math page from the math packet 

Wednesday night: Choice read or iReady/Reading Plus lessons, Dictado, practice math facts AND/OR math packet work 

Thursday- Choice read, practice Dictado, practice math facts AND/OR math packet work 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday- choice read 20-30 minutes before bed, practice math facts AND/OR math packet work 

Occasionally your child will have “extra” work to do at home that they did not finish in class or possibly an extra project (like the book reports). In this case, your child would complete the extra work and if they have time, go back to the original schedule, again, taking only 30-40 minutes of time in the evening.

You know your child and know what works best. Your child may need breaks between activities, a little less time or maybe a little more time. Overall, you should NOT be spending hours on homework. No more than 40 minutes total in one evening is sufficient for any 3rd grader. If you get to that point, stop and call it a night.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding “homework” or anything else. I am always happy to talk with you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

Friday, October 27th, 2017

Next week we have PE on Tuesday and Friday

Dear Parents,

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day! Clearly, we have started experiencing our lovely Colorado winter weather with snow one day and sun the next.  Please remind your child to dress for the weather.  Thank you!

Thank you to our room mom, Chamisa Logemann, and all of the parents who helped make our fall party a success.  The kids had a fantastic time.  Chamisa and I would also like to thank all of the parents who made donations to our Trunk or Treat Basket.  It sounds like it will be quite a prize for whoever wins our Third Grade Money Tree basket!

Your child has a copy of Spelling Bee study words in their Friday folder.  If your child is interested in participating in the Kohl Spelling Bee, they may want to study these words over the next few weeks.  We will be giving all third graders a spelling bee screening test the week before Thanksgiving break to determine our three classroom spelling bee participants.  These tests will not be graded for a classroom grade.  They are just a screener for us to qualify students for the spelling bee.

Thank you for coming to your child’s parent teacher conference.  After meeting with all of you I understand why we have such a wonderful class.  You are a group of very supportive parents.  Please continue to talk to your child about their goals at school and let me know if you have any questions or concerns as the year progresses.

I spoke with many of you about the importance of studying math facts with your child. Rolling two ten sided dice is a fun way to practice facts. The fact fluency folder on MobyMax also provides a good platform for students to practice +,-, X, and / facts. Learning Wrap-ups are another fun way to practice. They are an inexpensive tool for kids to use to practice their facts anywhere. You can find them at learningwrapups.com or on amazon.

You should have your child’s MobyMax, Reading Plus, and iReady username and passwords. Please have your use Reading Plus or iReady at least once a week.  

Thank you for supporting your child with their book report projects. Students will share them next week.

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  
• Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week.  They should practice writing the sentence in their homework notebook each day after school.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. 5 to 10 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  We have used this site once in class and will continue to use it at least once a week at school.  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs.

https://www.mobymax.com/signin

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, October 27th- Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:30

Friday, November 10th- No School Veteran’s Day

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Aisha Galt

Friday, October 20th, 2017

Next week we have PE on Monday and Thursday

Dear Parents,

Happy Friday!  We had a great time at the zoo. Thank you so much to our parent volunteers who made this trip possible. Our students will be using the information they collected at the zoo for a special project next week.

Conferences are scheduled for next week, Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26h. Thank you in advance for signing up. I am looking forward to sharing your child's progress and setting some goals for this year. If for some reason these dates do not work for your schedule, please let me know so we can arrange another time to meet. It is important that I communicate with all my families during conference time.  Your child is welcome to come to the conference.

Our Fall Party is scheduled for Friday, October 27th. You should have received an email from our room mom regarding this event. Our room mom is also in charge of the 3rd-grade basket for the Kohl Truck or Treat, which is on Friday, October 27th. Thank you for all your donations for the basket.

Our first science unit, Life Cycles, has begun. We are currently observing the life cycles of pea plants, caterpillars, and a tadpole in the classroom.  Our caterpillars are in their chrysalis’, and our tadpole is starting to get his hind legs! Lots of awesome changes are happening! This week we learned about the characteristics of living, non-living and dead things as well as the different stages of the plant life cycle. Next week we will start working with animal life cycles.

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• Work on the book report project! We have a rolling due date: October 25th, 26th or 27th.

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. 5 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  We have used this site once in class and will continue to use it at least once a week at school.  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs.

https://www.mobymax.com/signin

Important Dates to Remember

Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26th- Parent-teacher conferences

Friday, October 27th-Fall Party 1:30-2:30 Parents are welcome to join us in our classroom to celebrate.

Friday, October 27th- Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:30

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

Friday, October 13, 2017

Next week we have PE on Wednesday

Dear Parents,

I hope you are all well.  I had to take an unexpected sub day yesterday because one of my boys and my mom, who is my childcare person, was sick.  They are both feeling much better today.  I am going to send the book report assignment home again on Monday, just to be sure students have exactly what they need.  

Thank you to those of you who have signed up for parent teacher conferences. Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26th. I am looking forward to sharing your child's progress and setting some goals for this year. If for some reason these dates do not work for your schedule, please let me know so we can arrange another time to meet. It is important that I communicate with all my families during conference time.  Your child is welcome to come to the conference.

We assigned our first homework book report project this week! Your child has been introduced to the options available, and they have chosen a book report project. The directions are in your child’s Friday folder. These projects are designed to help build essential reading skills and to challenge students to use their critical thinking and creativity to show what they are reading at home. Please sit down with your child and talk about which book to do this project on, it should be a book that they have been reading at home. The book does not have to be approved by me, but please make sure the book will work with the project they have selected. We have a rolling due date for completed projects. They should be returned to school and ready to present on October 25th, 26th, or 27th.

We started our second chapter in math; Multiplication and Division with 6s, 7s, 8s and Multiplying with Multiples of 10. Please continue to support your child with nightly multiplication and division math fact practice. This practice is imperative for fact memorization. We have also started daily math dashes (timed multiplication and division tests). I can see who is practicing at home by the many tests they are passing. Thank you for your at-home support!

In science, we are starting to learn about plant and animal life cycles.  We will be comparing the life cycles of a pea plant, butterfly, and a frog through hands-on explorations in our classroom.
We also started a health and safety unit through a project based learning platform.  Students learned about the importance of breakfast, sleep, exercise, hand washing, and fire and bike safety.  They were also introduced to the five food groups and the risks of smoking.  Each student will work with a small group to create a project that teaches our classroom more about a health and safety topic that they feel strongly about. Please ask your child about what they are working on.

Our first field trip is scheduled for Friday, October 20th. If you have not returned the permission slip and fee, please do as soon as possible. f you need help with all or part of the fee, please let me know.  Thank you to our chaperones: Chamisa Logemann, Sheila Wogen, Nancy Saha, Linda Gutmann, and Stephanie Schwab.  You will need a sack lunch and $5 for the zoo entrance fee.  Please come to our classroom at 9:10.  Thank you! If you hope to join us for the trip but are not listed above, please let me know as soon as possible.  You must have completed a BVSD approved background check to join us on the trip.  

Our Fall Party is scheduled for Friday, October 27th. You should have received an email from our room mom regarding this event. Our room mom is also in charge of the 3rd-grade basket for the Kohl Truck or Treat, which is on Friday, October 27th.

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• Work on the book report project!

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, and 10. 5 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs. The Fact Fluency folder on MobyMax is a great place for students to practice math facts.  

https://www.mobymax.com/signin

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, October 13th NO SCHOOL Teacher Professional Development

Tuesday, October 17th Jog-a-Thon pledges due

Friday, October 20- Field Trip to Denver Zoo

Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26th- Parent-teacher conferences

Friday, October 27th-Fall Party 1:30-2:30 Parents are welcome to join us in our classroom to celebrate.

Friday, October 27th- Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:30

Enjoy the long weekend!
Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt

Friday, October 6th, 2017

Next week we have PE on Monday and Thursday

Dear Parents,

Happy Friday!  We had a fantastic and busy week.

The online sign up for parent-teacher conferences will be sent to you in the next few days. Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26h. Thank you in advance for signing up. I am looking forward to sharing your child's progress and setting some goals for this year. If for some reason these dates do not work for your schedule, please let me know so we can arrange another time to meet. It is important that I communicate with all my families during conference time.  Your child is welcome to come to the conference.

We had our first unit math test, which is in your child’s Friday folder, and started math dashes this week. Math dashes are short quizzes testing students recall of multiplication and division facts. Students will take a dash almost each day until they complete all of them. When they are finished with all quizzes, they will get an ice cream sandwich!. At this point, many students are still using their fingers to count up by numbers to multiply and divide, and this is appropriate for this time of year.  Students should have their multiplication and division facts  1-10 memorized by the end of the school year.  Your child should have a math fact study folder in their homework folder to help them study at home. Please have them continue to study everyday! It is so important to build a strong foundation in math for the upcoming years ahead.

Our first field trip is scheduled for Friday, October 20th. If you have not returned the permission slip and fee, please do as soon as possible. If you need help with all or part of the fee, please let me know.

Our Fall Party is scheduled for Friday, October 27th. Please watch for an email next week regarding this event. Our room mom is also working on the 3rd-grade basket for the Kohl Truck or Treat, which is on Friday, October 27th.

We are finishing up with our communities and local government unit, and will begin our first science unit: Plant and Animal Life Cycles next week. Thank you to Jake Hiebert, Kylee’s dad (3Gr), who visited our class to talk about his work as a firefighter.  All of our guest speakers were a great addition to this unit.  

Homework Ideas for Next Week

• ReadingPlus or iReady lessons at least once per week.

• Check in with your child about their Mystery State assignment.  Help your child practice their Dictado sentence.  This should be written in their homework notebook each week.
• Practice math X and / facts 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. 5 minutes daily

• Have your child use MobyMax to practice math, reading, writing, social studies, science and more!  We have used this site once in class and will continue to use it at least once a week at school.  It is a great resource as it adjusts content and pace for each student’s level and needs.

https://www.mobymax.com/signin

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, October 13th NO SCHOOL Teacher Professional Development

Tuesday, October 17th Jog-a-Thon pledges due

Friday, October 20- Field Trip to Denver Zoo

Tuesday, October 24th and Thursday, October 26th- Parent-teacher conferences

Friday, October 27th-Fall Party 1:30-2:30 Parents are welcome to join us in our classroom to celebrate.

Friday, October 27th- Trunk or Treat 5:30-7:30

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Aisha Galt